27 Best Songs From 1951
1951 witnessed the ratification of the 22nd Amendment, the birth of the coast-to-coast telephone service, and the Treaty of San Francisco.
In the music industry, popular music started replacing swing and big band songs in the charts.
Below you will find some of the best songs from 1951; enjoy!
Contents
Too Young by Nat King Cole
Song Year: 1951
If you want to talk talented musicians from this year, Nat King Cole should be at the top of your list.
“Too Young” was penned by writers Sidney Lippman and Sylvia Dee. Nat King Cole’s rendition reached the number 1 spot on the charts. It became the best-selling song of the year.
Cole recorded the song in February 1951. Capitol Records released it in March, and by June it reached the top spot on the Billboard chart. It remained there for five whole weeks.
Nat King Cole confessed that “Too Young” is a favorite song in his impressive discography.
Because of You by Tony Bennett
Song Year: 1951
Here’s another example of good music from 1951. Arthur Hammerstein and Dudley Wilkinson first penned the song in 1940.
In April 1951, a young Tony Bennett recorded it for Columbia Records, accompanying an orchestra conducted by Percy Faith. “Because of You” would become Bennett’s first hit song.
A rendition of the song by a young Donny Osmand became an international hit two decades later in 1972.
Bennett performed “Because of You” at his final concert, 70 years after its initial release, due to its significance in shaping his legendary career.
How High the Moon by Les Paul and Mary Bennet
Song Year: 1951
The earliest known version of “How High the Moon” comes from Benny Goodman & His Orchestra in 1940.
In 1951 Les Paul and Mary Ford recorded their version. It was released in March 1951 and spent 25 weeks on the Billboard charts. For 9 of those weeks, the song was #1.
It reached the #2 spot on the Most-Played Juke Box Rhythm & Blues chart. In 1979 “How High the Moon” earned a place in the Grammy Hall of Fame.
The song features in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, along with the Museum of Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll. It’s a great example of good music from 1951.
Come-on A My House by Rosemary Clooney
Song Year: 1951
“Come On-a My House” is the brainchild of Pulitzer Prize winner Willian Saroyan and his cousin Ross Bagdasarian. They wrote it during a road trip across New Mexico in 1939.
The song refers to an old Armenian tradition where friends and relatives get invited to share a nice spread of seeds, fruits, nuts, and other food.
Rosemary Clooney performed the song in 1951, and it became a major hit for her. The song went on to top the Billboard charts for six weeks.
Clooney sang “Come On-a My House” in 1953 for the film The Stars Are Singing. Unfortunately, Rosemary Clooney never liked performing the song, but she had to do it to keep from being fired.
Be My Love by Mario Lanza
Song Year: 1951
Sammy Cahn and Nicholas Brodszky wrote “Be My Love” in 1950.
That same year Mario Lanza and Kathryn Grayson performed the song in the film “The Toast of New Orleans”. It was nominated for an Oscar but lost to the song “Mona Lisa”.
The 1950 recording went on to sell more than a million copies, a first for Lanza.
It sold more than two million copies in total. “Be My Love” was featured on the Billboard charts for an impressive 34-week run, peaking at number 1. It is the epitome of good music from 1951.
Tennessee Waltz by Patti Page
Song Year: 1951
This popular tune is one of the best 50s country songs. It was penned in 1946 by Redd Stewart with music composed by Pee Wee King. Patti Page’s 1951 rendition of the song went on to sell millions of copies.
“Tennesse Waltz” tells a story about a woman introducing her love interest to a friend. The friend proceeds to waltz away with the woman’s sweetheart.
The song was so widely loved that in 1965 it was named the fourth official song of Tennessee.
Jezebel by Frankie Laine
Song Year: 1951
American songwriter Wayne Shanklin originally wrote the song and it was recorded by Frankie Laine in April of 1951. It was released by Columbia Records and reached number 2 on the Billboard charts.
The B-side of the single also became a hit record. “Rose, Rose I Love You” peaked at number 3 on the charts.
The song refers to the biblical tale of Queen Jezebel, an Old Testament villainess.
My Heart Cries For You by Guy Mitchell and Mitch Miller
Song Year: 1951
Percy Faith and Carl Sigman adapted an 18th-century French melody to create “My Heart Cries For You.” The original melody is attributed to none other than the infamous French Queen Marie Antoinette.
Guy Mitchell and the Mitch Miller Orchestra recorded the ballad in 1950 for Columbia Records. It went on to sell more than a million copies. In 1951 it peaked at the number 2 spot on the Billboard chart.
Sweet Violets by Dinah Shore
Song Year: 1951
“Sweet Violets” is a popular song based on a song of the same name that features in Joseph Emmet’s 1882 play Fritz Among the Gypsies.
Dinah Shore and Henri René's Orchestra & Chorus recorded the song for RCA Victor Records in May of 1951.
The arrangement by Cy Coben and Charles Green helped Dinah’s version peak at number 3 on the Billboard chart.
(It’s No) Sin by Eddy Howard
Song Year: 1951
Chester R. Shull wrote the lyrics and George Hoven wrote the music for this popular 1951 hit.
Eddy Howard recorded a rendition for Mercury Records that reached number 1 on the Billboard charts. It spent 23 weeks on the chart in total.
Around the same time, The Four Aces recorded a version of the song that went on to peak at number 4 and spent a total of 22 weeks on the Billboard charts.
